China's next hero
by Ren-Da-Riter
Summary: Ming (Shang & Mulan's daughter) is about to walk the same path as her mother, with much more at stake. Shang's health may not be failing, but the nation's hope is. (summary is kinda bad, but stick with me!) Read&Review please


Disclaimer: I do not own Mulan, no matter how much I wish I did. (I did make up Ming, though)

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Chapter 1: Shocking Discovery 

"Dad, Mom!! You're home!!" A young teenage girl yelped, springing from her chair beside her grandmother, and skittering to her loving parents.

"Ming! Did you miss us?" Her father said, swinging her up into the air, and gently placing her back on the ground.

"Shang, that's more than obvious." Ming's mother said, gently stroking her daughter's short, shining black hair.

"Mulan!" A tall, skinny man called, he came out of the house, followed by a short, stocky one, a large (fat) one, and the little girl's grandmother

"Ling, Yao, Chein-Po! It's been a while!" the beaming Mulan cried. As old friends, they knew her well, and the cheerful disposition of her greeting didn't fool the trio for a second.

After a moment's silence, "Something's wrong." Chein-Po said apprehensively, "What is it?"

Shang and Mulan looked at each other, and back at the others.

"Let's talk about this later." Shang said cautiously as his daughter looked up at him with inquiring eyes.

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After her mother had left her bedroom, Ming crept catlike out of her bed, and stuffed the pillows under the covers to look like a sleeping adolescent. _'I've gotten good at this'_ Ming thought to herself, _'almost too good'_

She dropped from the window of her bedroom to the ground without a sound, and snuck over to the window lit with warm light, shadows moving on the panes. With baited breath, she listened for conversation.

"They're back?!" 'Uncle' Ling's voice said with quavering pitch.

"Yes." Mulan said, "They have a new leader-"

"Hing-tao." Shang finished, "He's put many of the villages surrounding the palace, as well as the palace itself, under siege. And what's worse is that he's also surrounded our town."

Outside, Ming gasped, _'the Huns…back? How? Why-'_

"Thanks," Mulan said dryly, "I don't know _how_ I could have explained that myself."

"So the emperor has called the army back together?" Yao asked.

"The emperor…" Mulan started, but she couldn't finish. Ming heard her quiet sobs, and knew her father was now holding her in his arms.

"The emperor is dead." Shang said.

Tears welled up in Ming's eyes, and she left, unable to bear hearing any more. The emperor had been kind to her when her mother had taken her to the palace when summons had pulled them away from a special shopping errand at the palace's surrounding city. His age hadn't seemed to matter, for his sense of power had amazed her, and he didn't seem to ever be tired.

That didn't matter anymore, she reminded herself, he's gone, and there's nothing China can do about it.

She stole into her mother and father's room, sinking down beside their fine wooden cabinet, opening the door to take comfort from the objects inside.

Her grandfather's helmet that her mother had stolen, Shan-Yu's sword, as well as the Emperor's amulet, and an incense tray with a delicate dragon arched over it, holding the edge with ornate claws.

She placed the amulet around her neck, and stroked the dragon, wishing something could ease this sense of doom that had cast a shadow on her heart. The hopelessness she felt was beyond compare.

"Ming…" a faint voice called, "Miiiiing…"

Wide-eyed with fear, she stared around the room, searching for the speaker. She saw none, so followed her instinct into the hallway, still holding the incense tray's dragon by the neck.

She pursued the voice to the shrine for the family's ancestors, and stopped, enchanted by the shimmering lights emanating from the inscriptions on the gravestones. Their pale blue shine illuminated the small structure, and then focused into beams that swiveled to shine into the amulet's jewel.

The whole time, Ming held perfectly still, fascinated by the mysteriousness of the ordeal, and hoping that something truly amazing would happen.

The lights continued, and then moved again, to the incense tray and the dragon detached from the tray, and curled up like it was sleeping, although it was still a goldish metal.

Ming was dissapointed when the light stopped, and trudged sullenly back to her room, placing the dragon on her other pillow, and drifting to sleep with the amulet still on.

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Sunlight shone through Ming's (hole in the wall) window, and disturbed her restless sleep. Sitting up, she stretched broadly, and stifled a yawn as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, onto something scaly.

"Hey! Watch the tail!" something snarled from the ground.

Startled, Ming pulled her legs back up onto the bed, and leaned over cautiously to see what had spoken.

A little red dragon with bluish horns, floppy ears, and two strange whiskers was dusting itself off, and snapped at her, "How was your 'beauty sleep'? You sure need it."

Ming's mouth fell open, as she realized this was the dragon from the incense tray, and then realized he'd just insulted her.

"What a cute little dragon! Do you breathe confetti? I mean, that's all you look big enough to do." She retorted.

"Ah, shut it." He said, and jumped up to her knee, "I'm Mushu, your mother's guardian as well as yours 'cause the ancestors got told to watch over y'all, so here I am. Poof, Voila, Alakazam, and whatever else there is to say."

Lost in thought, Ming tuned him out, wondering what she felt like she was forgetting…

"Hey, girl, your elder is speaking to you!" Mushu said, pointing at the front of her sleeping shirt.

"Oh my…" she said, paling as she saw the facein the amulet's jewel. The face was not only talking and moving, but also very _very_ familliar...

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Leia: so…was it awesome, or cheesey? Too slow, or too fast? Got suggestions? Review please, because that will make me happy, and happy makes me write more and get it up faster! And please bear with me, it's _sooooo_ not over yet.

Mushu: 'course it ain't! I haven't gotten my proper spotlight!

Leia: Oh, of course, you _are_ the star, aren't you (rolls eyes) PLEASE REVIEW, OR I CAN'T IMPROVE!!


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